BJP seeks updating of voter lists in states facing polls

Published: Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 14:35 [IST]

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New Delhi, Aug 19 (UNI) Stating that a large number of eligible voters have not been able to get themselves enrolled in the voters list after the delimitation of Lok Sabha and Assembly Constituencies, the BJP today sought the Election Commission to extend the time limit for updating the voter list.

A high level delegation consisting of former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and BJP General Secretary Vijay Goel met the EC Members to complain that the photo voter lists carried many mistakes and action may be taken to correct the mistakes, Mr Naqvi, also BJP Vice President told reporters after a 45 minute meeting here.

The rectification has to take place in all states that are going to polls in 2008-09, including Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, the party urged.

They also sought the EC to identify the sensitive and extremely sensitive polling stations prior to commencement of election process so that the EC would have enough time to take appropriate measures to ensure free and fair polls.

Election Commission Members Mr Navin Chawla and Mr S Y Qureshi received the memorandum submitted by the BJP delegation.

The BJP leaders said that the voters list in the present shape had several clusters of dwelling units and would have to travel long distances to reach the polling station. Steps may be taken to locate the polling booths in areas where people lived, they added.

Mr Naqvi said the party had told the EC that the role of political parties to get across their message to the people and the restrictions on this task often had become unnecessary hindering the campaign resulting in the voter left out of the education process.

The EC should give due care in changing the election code keeping in mind the changing social and political realities in the country and do away with undue restrictions.

The leaders also sought the EC to disqualify all the parties which supported violence and terror perpetrated by banned organisations like SIMI in various serial blasts across the country.

Unless the EC cracks the whip, the parties will not give up luring the terror perpetrators for voter appeasement, they said.

Touching upon Jharkhand situation, the BJP leaders said if the present coalition failed to prove its majority in the Assembly, then there should be fresh mandate from the people.